Do You Want to Build a Snowman?
| studio = | venue = | genre = Show tune | length = 3:28 | label = Walt Disney, Interscope, Nelstar Music | writer = | composer = | lyricist = | producer = | prev_title = | prev_year = | title = | next_title = | next_year = }} "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" is a song from the 2013 Disney animated feature film Frozen, with music and lyrics composed by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez. , the total sales of the digital track stands at 1,600,000 downloads according to Nielsen SoundScan, placing it second on the list of all-time best-selling Christmas/holiday digital singles in SoundScan history (behind Mariah Carey's 1994 hit single, "All I Want for Christmas Is You"). Synopsis After Elsa accidentally harms Anna with her ice powers, she locks herself in her bedroom. The song captures three different moments at which Anna tries and fails to persuade Elsa to spend time with her - as children, teenagers, and adults. Within the film, the last of these moments occurs after the sisters' parents have died at sea in a storm. Production At one point Disney considered removing the song from the film because as originally composed, it was too sad and it was also too complicated in that it contained too much exposition. However it was put back after being well received by the Disney staff. StitchKingdom explains, "due to pacing of the film, this song was constantly being cut and put back in during the film’s development. Ultimately, studio employees demanded it stay in." During the film's development, Lopez at one point had to travel to Los Angeles to work in person with the production team to try to fix the song, and they had to sit down and work through how Elsa sounds versus how Anna sounds. Christophe Beck and Hans Zimmer, who both wrote the film's score, added the interlude for the montage scenes. After the film was released, a fan put together a version of the song to show how a reprise could have worked at the climax of the film, when Elsa realizes that Anna is completely frozen. Commenting on the fan clip in January 2014, Anderson-Lopez mentioned that at one point, she actually had pitched a reprise of the song for the film's climax. Lopez added, "if you watch it in the flow of the movie, it would be jarring to have them break into song at that moment." When the same clip was mentioned in an interview, director Jennifer Lee explained that according to Disney music producer Chris Montan (who has worked on nearly every Disney and Pixar animated film from the start of the Disney Renaissance), it is traditional in Disney animated musicals to have no more songs after the end of the second act. Critical reception The song received widespread acclaim from film critics, music critics, and audiences. Kyle Smith of The New York Post dubbed it a "classic". USA Today called it "a lovely musical number that illustrates Anna's emotional yearning, sung with heartfelt sweetness by Bell." Alonso Duralde of The Wrap labeled it "poignant". Moviefone describes the song as "sob-inducing", and "the best song in Frozen". Scott Mendelson of Forbes talks about the "richness and a subtle sadness to the core relationship between Anna and Elsa, of so much time lost to fear, self-doubt, and some questionable parenting at a key juncture", and goes on to describe "Do You Want To Build A Snowman" as a "beautiful song...it's just one of a handful of terrific songs". Mendelson added, "I was deathly afraid it would come back as a climactic refrain should the story end badly." Sputnikmusic said "the songs complement the gorgeous visuals well, especially in the first extended cut "Do You Want to Build a Snowman" and its tear-pleading climax and conclusion", and argues "it’s one of the few vocal tracks far removed from the crushing vapidity of the other material". The'' Rochester City Newspaper'' described the song as "character-establishing", and noted that along with "Frozen Heart", it "deeply resembles Disney's song output under Alan Menken...and that helps them feel instantly familiar". The soundtrack review adds, "While "Snowman" works better in the film (the visuals fill in some of the song's gaps) the twee-cute vocals and gorgeous melody help its memorability". AllMusic said this song and the love duet "Love Is an Open Door"'' have "contemporary Broadway dazzle". Other languages Several other language versions of the song have been successful. The Japanese-language version called was sung by Sayaka Kanda, who played 15-year-old and 18-year-old Anna, as well as Sumire Morohoshi and Natsuki Inaba, who played Anna aged 9 and 5 respectively. It appeared on the ''Billboard Japan Hot 100 in April and May 2014, peaking at number 39, and was popular enough to be certified platinum for 250,000 digital downloads by the RIAJ in January 2015. The Korean-language version was sung by Yoon Si-young, Lee Ji-min and Park Ji-yoon. In March 2014, it reached number 115 on the Gaon Singles Chart, after being downloaded 17,000 times. Charts and certifications Charts Certifications |- |salesamount=30,000|autocat=yes}} |- |- |award=Platinum}} Performances Kristen Bell sang the song live as her character throughout every stage of her life at the Vibrato Grill Jazz Club in Los Angeles to celebrate the film. Twenty-six members of the Disney Channel Circle of Stars performed a cover video of the song in July 2014. Austin & Ally star Laura Marano performed a Hawaiian version of the song at Disney's Aulani Resort & Spa for Disney Parks' Frozen Christmas Celebration on ABC with Kamehameha Schools Children's Chorus singing the children's chorus. SM Entertainment trainees Koeun, Hina, Herin, and Lami covered the song in the Korean edition of Mickey Mouse Club in 2015. Country singer Mickey Guyton recorded the song and released it on November 6, 2015 to digital retailers and music streaming services. Her version charted at number 57 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart. |title=Mickey Guyton Album & Song Chart History - Country Airplay|work=Billboard|publisher=Prometheus Global Media}} See also *Papa, Can You Hear Me? References Category:2013 songs Category:2010s ballads Category:Songs from Frozen (2013 film) Category:Songs about loneliness Category:Songs written by Robert Lopez Category:Songs written by Kristen Anderson-Lopez Category:Disney Channel Circle of Stars songs Category:Song recordings produced by Hans Zimmer Category:Song recordings produced by Lorne Balfe Category:Song recordings produced by Stephen Lipson Category:Song recordings produced by Kristen Anderson-Lopez Category:Song recordings produced by Robert Lopez Category:Colleen Villard songs